A message from our partners at CILIP
Following on from the successful development of the Level 3 library, archive and information apprenticeship in 2018, CILIP has been approached by several parties to facilitate the development of a higher-level apprenticeship standard. CILIP believes apprenticeships are important to develop diverse, quality-assured routes into the information management, library and knowledge management sector.
CILIP is aiming to get as many employers of library, information and knowledge workers in England as possible to complete a short survey. The aim is to establish the level of demand for developing a higher-level apprenticeship and the preference between level 6 (graduate) and 7 (post-graduate). This is a chance to shape routes into the profession.
All apprenticeship standards are developed by employer-led "Trailblazer" groups working with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. The Trailblazers can be supported by relevant professional associations, such as CILIP. It is important to demonstrate there is genuine demand for the apprenticeship with employers across the sector. 2017 research showed strong support among employers for a higher level apprenticeship. This survey is to test the current level of that demand and applies to England only. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland retain their own apprenticeship arrangements. We appreciate COVID-19 creates a difficult landscape for employers to predict the future shape of workforce development, but the government is committed to building the apprenticeship offer. The apprenticeship development will take 12-18 months minimum and by then we hope the sector will have settled into a more steady "business as usual" with regards to managing COVID-19 .
The survey is here and should take about eight minutes to complete.